Category: Fictional Love Story

Do you have a special love story? Actually every love story is great. How does it begin, what did it take, who was involved and how did it end if it ended.

Hollywood's best movies are love stories! We are eager to read yours or maybe you are just eager to read others. Maybe one of the producers of Hollywood is reading your story and what a story that would be!

People said that I was too young for love. They said I couldn’t experience heartbreak.

The first time he came over to my house, I started crushing. He was 16, I was 10. I knew he was just being himself. He probably never saw interest in me. I was just a silly little kid, and he was just trying to entertain me. So it seemed.

He was everything I wanted: funny, witty, artistic, playful. I kept a journal of all the boys I liked, and all the pages were mostly filled with him. The Mission Art Walk card. Little things. The other boys were just temporary crushes, cute but not really like. He was different. I fell heads over heels for him. I really loved him. Every day, I’d sit and imagine life for one day with him. Together. Alone.

Years passed, I turned 12, he turned 18. The last time he came over, he kept on asking me to sneak out to a dance. He said that maybe he’d take a Perusian girl with a heavy accent. Maybe.

I came home from basketball practice, and made a habit out of myself to check his house to see if the attic window light was on. He lives on my block, and I am so grateful for that. The door was open, and he and another girl, brunette with hair pulled back into a ponytail, were talking. He seemed to laugh, and time slowed. I stared, he turned around, and shock, confusion, and something else flashed across his face. Then it was over, I was gone, down the street in my dad’s car.

Now, he’s gone to college, and I’m still here. He’ll probably find a girl there, the light of his life, and I’ll be here, hiding my love. I convinced myself he liked me, I guess not. I guess I’m just a dreamer.

She was always jotting down notes, quotes and potential story ideas. Her phone was always ringing, a mixture of calls from debt collectors and well-to-do government officials. She had a pretty stable relationship with the local newspaper covering Queens’s government stories. Always in town meetings and in the city hall office, Liza was making a decent living as a freelance journalist. It had been her dream for many years— since she used to chase the chickens on her family’s South Carolina farm.

Liza was naïve, but she always knew that Charleston never had much for her, since she moved there at the age of 8, she developed an extreme disgust for the town.

When Bertha, a category 5 hurricane came through and wiped roofs clean off, knocked out power lines, uprooted trees and dissected her high school, she wished Bertha would have took it all. Charleston was a figment of her imagination – nothing ever seemed real there. Her friends didn’t seem that way, they’d always make jealous remarks about her family’s wealth or the nerds she had classes with. And those who mattered died. Senior year was particularly hard, as she had to attend three of her friend’s funerals; Kevin’s head was rolled over by a trailer after he fell out the bed of a speeding truck. Felicia was stabbed in a fight, and died of complications resulting from her asthma. Kemal committed suicide after he received his SAT results. His note said, “I’ll never amount to anything.”

Charleston was a beautiful residential area with great schools, but it always represented sad memories to Liza. She had become numb to the world living there. She would walk down the streets and see nothing but snakes and lizards, and realize that she forgot how to connect with real people. She longed for the big buildings and lights that she saw on the television screen. To her, New York was where all dreams came true. She envisioned that at the sound of her southern accent, a man would sweep her off her feet as soon as she landed at John F. Kennedy airport. He’d propose and they’d get married and have cornbread instead of cake, and go on a honeymoon to Maui. Then they would get a beautiful apartment on 74th street across from Central Park and play tennis and eat at the Boatyard restaurant in the summers and hold hands while ice-skating in the winter.

The polyphonic ring of her phone brought Liza back from dream world. She tended to doze off while she was riding the train, she didn’t like eye contact with any of the creeps. One time she made eye contact with a guy who referred to himself as Michael the Prophet. He looked into her eyes and saw her future. He saw an alcoholic husband, three kids, lots of credit card debt and a miss America crown. It was sad, and one part frightfully accurate. She vowed to never make eye contact again.

She answered.

“Hello,” she said, with a hint of southern charm.

“Heeeeyyyy,” a man on the other end of the line excitedly said. “I didn’t think you’d pick up.”

She was used to two voices on that line, the bureaucratic monotone voice of government officials or the spritely voice of her fiancé, James. She had memorized all the debt collectors’ numbers and purposely did not answer.

Liza played along.

“How are you?,” she asked.

“It’s so good to hear your voice. It’s been forever, how have you been?”

Liza was beginning to feel a familiar tingle in her heart. She pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at the number in an attempt to see if she mistakenly answered a bill collector’s call. She replayed the numbers in her head, six-one-seven; she didn’t recognize the area code.

“I’m really well, working a lot, but not getting paid enough. You know the deal.” It was a generically safe answer, she thought even if it was a bill collector.

“I’ll give you a hint. I used to have a big crush on you back in the day.”

Liza blushed at the thought of some age-old crush stalking her. She was very private and almost untraceable on Facebook and other social networks. The only unsolicited form of communication she received was spam, and bill collectors – but they were human spam anyways.

His voice was starting to sound really familiar. She paused for a few seconds, looked up at the top of the train and grabbed her bottom lip firmly. Who could it be? Her and James had been together for the past seven years, so it would have to be someone from her past. She’d only been in New York ten years.

All of sudden she put a face to the mystery voice.

“Tony!” She screams, before he even confirmed. “Oh my gosh! How are you??! Where are you? Tell me everything.”

She was just as dramatic as he had left her 15 years ago, when he almost made love to her as a young kid. He lived down the street from her farm and they’d always spent their nights together to make Charleston seem less dull. When he was 9, him, his brother and their mother moved to Charleston from Boston. Fifteen years ago, when she was 16, he told her he loved her. Liza would never forgive herself for backing down and not being brave enough to give her heart to him. He was planning to leave on plane back to Boston and never come back; he hated Charleston like they all did. She couldn’t blame him, although she was hurt that he wouldn’t stay for her. Still they fell deeply in teenage love, sneaking out to smoke weed underneath the banana tree or spending the days on islands only accessible by jet-skis. Although Tony was recently married, he always thought of Liza as the one who got away, telling all his old girlfriends about her and reminiscing on his teenage years in sunny, desolate Charleston.

“I’m in town for the weekend, your brother gave me your number. I just wanted to know how you were, maybe we could get a coffee or a bite to eat,” he said.

From the conversation, Liza gathered that Tony still lives in Boston and works for a political office, they have a conference in New York once a year. He just found out that Liza lived in New York when he went down to Charleston to see his mother for Thanksgiving. Liza had spent Thanksgiving with James.

A few hours later, Liza and Tony met up at this little place in Greenwich Village where you could get wings the size of chicken legs. They laughed, talked about their relationships, their families, etc. It was a good time.

The sun was still up, all her deadlines were in the past and James was out of town, so she respectfully accepted when Tony invited her to go bowling, like the good old days.

James job requires him to travel a lot, he’s a retail salesman for Giorgio Armani and he has to go to fashion shows all over the country for their respective fashion weeks. That’s why James is always dressed in the nicest suits and knows the exact purses to get Liza.

Tony won, as usual. He was always surprisingly good with a bowling ball. The way he tippy-toed up to the line and precisely laid the ball down to slow but steady pace. Twenty seconds later all that could be seen was the dark abyss of the mystery behind the lane and the resonating crack of a strike. At this point, Liza was debating why she even came to the alley; she was loosing so miserably 63 points to 214. Tony would slightly rub it in her face and ask if she wanted to put the kiddy gutters up. “No,” she said with a pouted face, which Tony noticed hadn’t changed in 15 years.

The polyphonic ring again. “Hello,” she said.

“Hey honey, I landed. I’m in Milan. I went straight to the set, they changed the fashion show time… and I’m still waiting on luggage with the remaining suits, we’ve only got two here.”

Liza listened until he took a breath to ask how she was doing. “I’m well,” she said. “I’m out bowling with an old friend. I’m loosing pretty badly,” she giggled. He wished her a good time and good luck on the game.

Liza and Tony had got tired of bowling and Tony decided to give Liza a tour of his suite at the Gansevoort hotel. The Gansevoort was particularly special hotel, and Tony believed Liza would enjoy the twists and turns of the staircases and the modern decor. They toured the pool, Jacuzzi, fitness room, spa area before going up to see the view from his Penthouse.

Liza lived in New York, but Queens didn’t have views like this. She ran to the window as soon as he opened the hotel door. The glass encompassed the whole back wall, and the city lights were as potent as ever—like lifelike fireflies. She lost her breath for a second at the sight of it all. The sun was setting and the sky was a special tinge of orange, pink and purple.

Tony came behind her, admiring her small frame, long black hair with red streaks that glistened in the sun and round buttocks from a far. He came behind her and whispered “Beautiful.” Liza startled at the warmth of his breath on her neck, and clumsily turned around so they were face to face. “Yes, I’m not used to this,” she said. Tony took one step closer to her, staring into her big hazel eyes. She hadn’t blinked for some time, and her eyes were beginning to water. Liza turned back around to admire the scenery, scared what she might do if their eyes remained locked for a second longer.

She put her head down. She wasn’t sure which body part to operate with, her head or her heart, She felt one thing, but knew she should do another. “Thank you for showing me this,” she said coldly.

When she looked up, two hands were pressed firmly against the glass on either side of her ears. She was a little frightened, but the experience felt so familiar. She missed the smell, she ran her hands through his curly tuft of hair, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her heart racing yet calm at the same time.

Tony kissed her softly on the neck.

He said, “Please stop me.”

But she couldn’t bear to. His hands felt like they belonged on her hips, which they were now resting. She grabbed his large hand and gave it a firm tug, to let him know that she wanted more.

He moved her hair to the side and he rhythmically began kissing her neck watching the sun set over the city before them. Tony turned Liza around and their lips met. Both felt like they had traveled into a time machine where they were two 16 year old sneaking out of their parent’s house to kiss by the lake.

Tony kissed her like he had dreamed. He picked her up and forced her back against the glass window. She winced, and felt her body grow warm inside. The kisses transformed from slow and endearing to fast and sloppy. Soon Liza was gripping his toned biceps for support against the window, her nails feeling his flesh. He pinned her to the window with his chest and groin and proceeded to take off her dress and then his shirt. His body warmth felt so good, and the smell… she took another deep breath of his essence.

She threw her head back in pleasure. She was enjoying it he thought, as he felt her wetness on his chest. He wanted to give her what she had been missed as a teenager, but a knock came at the door. It was his Democrat buddy seeing if he wanted to watch the US Open with him. Tony not-so-respectfully declined with a loud yell through the door. With that he twirled Liza around off the window and put her bare body down on the bleach white sheets. He crawled on top of her, kissing her face, neck and collarbone, his surly back the only thing to be seen from above.

The phone rang. The ring was familiar— it was James. She reached over Tony’s toned body with her left hand, the six-carat ring caught a twinkle from the sun’s final descent and she immediately began to think with her brain.

When I first saw him I had no idea how much he’d come to mean to me, how I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night because the thought of kissing him sent my brain into a spiral of deep proportions as I imagined what his lips would feel like, as I imagined the conversations that occurred both before and after this imaginary kiss.
I sat in the club, slightly cold but mostly just too drunk to get up and dance along side all the other uni students who were there for the exact same reason I was, the semester was finally over and it was time for the holidays. I scanned the room but didn’t see many familiar faces at first. My best friend Beth sat next to me in a slump, equally as drunk and bored as I was.
The fact we were both recently out of relationships probably had alot to do with the lack of game we were bringing to the club. My throats rotating in a singular motion starting with me in a perfect relationship, ending with me dying alone ran rapid through my mind until Beth interrupted to point at a guy walking past us. I glanced up from my green drink to assess the guy she was obviously interested in and barely gave him 30 seconds of my time.
He was tall with short brown hair that looked as though he’d either been electrocuted or just used an entire tub of fuge wax. As I wondered which of the two had occurred to this boy he looked in our direction, Beth quickly whispered to me asking for thoughts but as he locked my gaze and walked our way I could hardly process what my opinion really was of him, I instinctively replied saying Beth should go for it. Why should she have to sit next to boring dried up me when a guy she found attractive was walking our way.
He sat next to Beth and introduced himself, she replied very calmly and collected almost as if she hadn’t been whispering in my ear about how ‘hot’ she found him only moments ago. The lights around him were too dim for me to continue my evalution so feeling suddenly even more pathetic than I had previously felt, I too scanned the room to see if in the past 10 minutes anything had drastically changed.
The same couples were surrounding the table we were at, making out mostly but one particular couple seemed to be in a rather heated argument. “Why would you even talk to her?” asked the girl why the boy sat with his face like chalk. I couldn’t help but cringe at the memory of how crazy jealousy can make people. I moved on to continue my scan when I noticed a boy from my Chemistry class standing by the bar and staring over directly at me. I subtly turned around to see if he was really looking at me, there was nobody else behind me so it had to have been me.
His name was Jack. He would always sit next to me, flirt with me about little things, it was always fun but could I really kiss this boy? I had to pull myself together and remember that a kiss would be all it was because at 19 the only thing I was truly sure of was that a relationship was not what I wanted.
Whilst I deliberated I turned to my left, only to notice Beth and this Jesse character had escaped to the dance floor, leaving me completely alone. Upon directing my gaze back to where I’d seen Jack I was completely shocked to see he was walking towards me, I smiled to greet him and watched carefully as I watched him sit right next to me.
“Hey Lucy” His voice was soft, almost as if he was nervous. All that flirting in class had built him up to be this brave, player-like character but suddenly he was just a normal boy. “Hey Jack, how are you?” I replied instantaneously to ease his nerves as much as I could. “I’m good thanks, how’ve you been? Glad uni’s over?” Already he seems more confident, I reply fluently and we carry a casual conversation revolving around uni and the holidays, I was about getting up and telling Beth I was just going to go home when he asked if I wanted to dance. Not wanting to get up and dance I did something uncharacteristically slutty of me and reached over and kissed him. I pulled away to make sure I hadnt crossed any lines or offended him in any way, he smiled at me and pulled me straight back into his embrace. His lips were so soft and he’s grip around my waist made me feel so safe. Deciding I was unhappy with our impromptu make out location I stood up and dragged him to a room on the other end of the club.
The room smelt damp as spilt drink stains covered the red cushioned chairs lining the wall. Unable to think of any other viable alternative I sat down and pulled him down with me.
After what only felt like a few moments I heard Beths voice echoing my name. Concerned that something had gone wrong with her night in shining armour I pulled myself away from Jack, little to his amusement, and looked up to see a very distressed Beth looking down on me, to her right stood a very very drunk and confused-looking Jesse who obviously didn’t recognize me from earlier in the evening.
“I couldn’t find you I got scared!” Beth said in her attempt to be an angry friend, when really she doesn’t have a tempremental bone in her entire body. Realizing that I had been selfish in my actions I gave her a half smile and replied “Sorry Beth! I just got carried away..” As the words came out of my mouth I gestured to Jack who was sitting comfortably in the chair looked between Beth and I. “Ah Lucy, that’s okay. Just don’t disappear on me like that again! It’s not cool, do you guys feel like going to maccas?”
Nodding as I heard my warning I turned to ask Jack if he was hungry, he was and so the four of us set of for maccas.
It was only a 5 minute walk but it felt like forever in the cold! Jack kept hugging me and instantly I started to worry about what I’d gotten this poor boy in for. Meanwhile. Beth’s new boy toy swam in the alage infested lake. Moments later he returned to brag about his accomplishment and try to convince Beth to sleep with him in the bushes. As Jack and I laughed Beth turned to him in disgust saying she would never do that and continued to walk with us to maccas.
Once the five minute walk, which actually felt hours long, had come to an end I immediatey headed for the toilets, leaving Jack some money and my order. When I came back outside it was just Jack and Beth sitting at the table, I sat down next to Beth and asked what had happened to Jesse, she simply rolled her eyes and shrugged.
Seeing that she was clearly annoyed I reached around and hugged her to reassure her. Jack then spoke out to say he played Basketball with Jesse and that Grace should steer clear because Jesse was nothing but a player, seeing the dissapointment in Beths face I stupidly decided to speak up and say that players are only players for so long, Jack shot me a hard look of dissaproval.
Not long after we’d finished eating Jack asked me to come outside with him to talk. Feeling as though I owed him the time of day I stepped outside. Jack asked whether I knew Jesse or had met him before, when I said no he said that I should stay away and keep Beth away too.
Ignoring his warning and kissed him once more, he politely asked if I’d like to come stay the night in his dorm and respectfully kissed me on the cheek and hugged me goodbye when I declined.
Now that Jack had gone I saw the opportune moment for the best friend debriefing with Beth, as I stepped into maccas again I noticed there were three new members at our table. Jesse had returned and bought two of his friends, who just happened to be uni friends of mine and Beth’s aswell, damn Canberra for being so small.
I sat down next to Tommy, who instantly choked out a comment about Jack.
I barked back at him defending Jack’s honor, to everybody’s surprise. Jesse, who I had previously never spoken to before joined in and began teasing me. I sat in silence for a few seconds, glancing in Beth’s direction before I began to talk back.
“Did you see me swim in the lake Lucy?” Jesse Asked.
“Fortunately not.” I replied without even a sign of a smile, not wanting to make him feel comfortable what so ever.
“Don’t lie, I know you snuck a peak at my junk” he replied with the biggest smile on his face, the boys laughed and while I assessed Jesse more closely now that the lighting was a bit better I saw something in him I hadn’t previously seen. He has gleaming white teeth and the most contagious smile I’d ever seen. Unable to handle his intense eye contact any longer I looked down at the table with a smirk on my face, “Sorry Jesse, you’re right. I mean, I tried to ‘sneak a peak’ but then I realised I didnt have my magnifying glass on me.” The boys little laughs grew into uncontrollable giggles, and with them came a very impressed Beth laughing equally as loud. I looked back up from the table to assess Jesse’s facial expression, he was still looking at me with a huge smile on his face as he nodded in appreciation of my reply.
The five of us sat laughing and making jokes at each other’s expenses for a while longer until Beth and I decided we should go home and get some rest around 4am. As I said we were going to leave the boys all cried in disappointment while Jesse turned to Jake, the other mutual friend we have, and suggested they do the same. Jesse then stood up and hugged Beth, then, to my surprised came and hugged me. His hugs were amazing, I felt like I didnt even need to be standing up on my own accord anymore then suddenly, to my embarrassment my legs went weak at the knees as I toppled into the table to my left. Jesse Reached his arm back out to catch me and fell into yet another fit of laughter while everyone else paused to see what had happened, Jesse held me until I regained my balance and made a comment about how I should learn to control my liquor. Yes! Alcohol! Perfect excuse! While I was praising his comment he reached over and planted a slight kiss on my right cheek, he turned back to Beth who stood assessing the situation, and said “You both seem like really great girls, have a good night!” we both laughed and replied, thanking him for his compliment and saying we hope he had a good night as well.
On the way home Beth talked about Jesse, all the things that had annoyed her about him, how he kissed, how she thinks jack was right in saying we should steer clear and the meantime all I could think about was how I wish it’d been me that had kissed him. I felt like the worst friend in the world and mentally decided that I would no longer think of him….

“oh crap! Eye contact.”
Walk fast, walk fast was all I could think.
From the corner of my eye I could see his head follow my footsteps.
He was no more than 12metres away from me.
‘act casual you dork!’ your alright *Sophie, almost at lab 6.
Someone’s footsteps grew louder as I walked.
I could hear him trying to catch up to me from behind.
I felt like I wanted to drop and curl into a ball.
A hand lay on my shoulder forcing me to stop.
I turned around and there he was;
David Curtis*.
If you could sum up every hot/bad boy in every teenage movie EVER !
It would be this guy.
He was tall and tan. He had brownish hair that he played with a lot!
He had a big smile and pearly white teeth perfectly placed in line.
His eyes were a light golden-brown but glowed a hazel-green sometimes.
His eyebrows were perfectly shaped which I have to be honest, kinda made me jealous! He was lean and had THEE BEST ARMS. Trust me, I fantasize about them quite often. His left ear was pierced and his eyebrow use to be. I could still see the two holes;
He quickly pulled his hand away and placed it behind his neck.
“ugh.. Where you off to?” He asked me as he looked down at his vans.
I just stared at him…
He bit half of his bottom lip, raised his eyebrows Then just looked back at me.
“aw yeah, he wants an answer”
Oh umm, science. I tried to seem cool.
He chuckled under his breath then smiled.
It was perfect!
Better get going” I sad trying not to sound too “un-interested and I walked off only to realize he didn’t ?
I turned my head a little and saw he was just standing there watching me walk into the classroom.

She was fearfully clutching her keys, petrified and furious; Shawna decided she was going to leave. Makeup smeared down her bony face, her scrawny husband, Kevin, has been beating her. He wanted Shawna to leave on her own, not make her leave. They had a fifteen-year-old daughter, Alyssa; she knew that the reason her parents were fighting was all because of her. Neither her parents nor she wanted to admit it but it was the truth. Shawna didn’t want to leave her high school sweetheart but it was getting too terrible to deal with; it just wasn’t meant to be. Kevin thought he started to love someone else. Kevin won’t admit that he doesn’t know what love truly is. Is Kevin in love or is he going crazy?
He wanted to try to fix his marriage with his wife because of Alyssa; trying not to completely ruin his little girl’s life. So therefore, he was determined to tell Shawna to leave Alyssa with him and tell her to get out and find somewhere else to live. Shawna didn’t like his evil-looking face when he finally manned up to go tell her about leaving Alyssa here with him; therefore, she got mad and walked out of the room without him speaking one word. Kevin was puzzled at the fact she was mad before he could say anything. He wanted to tell her but didn’t know how. She was way too mad to talk to at the moment, so he waited for her attitude to ease down a little bit. Shawna was a very sour and introspective person. She always thought of her being “trashy”, scrawny, untidy tangled hair, and sagging cheeks. She wanted to be alone all the time; she didn’t like to make conversation with a lot of people. Shawna was an argumentative person though, she would argue over just about everything. Kevin would always get so mad at her for it too, he always swore he would go crazy one day because of his discourteous, impolite, and shrewd wife.
Alyssa never wanted her parents to fight or get a divorce, but she knew that it would be better for the both of them. She never understood why either of them stayed together all these years, fighting and skirmishing. She didn’t know if it was “true love” or “old love” keeping her parents together. What she didn’t know was they were staying together to keep her happy, when all they were doing was making her life horrible. Alyssa, unlike any ordinary child, wanted her parents to leave each other. After growing up with her parents always being abusive to each other and her, she was tired of it and wanted them to be done with each other forever.
Kevin and Shawna talked about getting a divorce but never actually did it. Shawna couldn’t leave her best friend and neither could Kevin, but he was trying to get away from their past and get on with his life. Although Shawna wouldn’t let go of her past with him, she was tired and stressed over all the hostility and aggression throughout her life. She just couldn’t move on from Kevin and Alyssa. Kevin was tired of all Shawna’s emotions and confusing mood swings. So he was determined to get rid of them both for good.
Kevin told Shawna to take Alyssa and leave. Shawna told Kevin to leave “her” house, and Alyssa. Kevin was finally being driven into insanity; he was bound determined to get them out of his life.
One Thursday morning Kevin got up early and left Shawna a note:
“Shawna,
I am going to my brother’s house for the weekend and I will be back Saturday afternoon, if you aren’t gone by then I’m calling the cops.
Sincerely, Kevin”
When Shawna read the note she was relieved that he was gone, but didn’t want to leave her house to a single old man that would live there all alone. She wasn’t going to leave her home.
When Kevin showed up to the house on Saturday morning and Shawna and Alyssa were both home and asleep. He crept to Alyssa’s room and when the gunshot went off and blood was shed, he left his little girl lying there lifeless on her bed. Then with a tear in his eye he ran to his room where his wife lay frightened and awake, he drew the barrel up to her temple, and as he went to pull the trigger she screeched her last words “I love you!”

People remind me of teddy bears. Some are full of stuffing and little else. Some are kept out of reach of the masses, only being able to be viewed but never touched. There are generic bears that share such a striking resemblance to each other that we could be forgiven for not seeing the individual beauty within each one. Like people bears come in a multitude of different sizes and colours; the possibilities are endless.

Some bears are old and tatty, while others appear to have been made yesterday. Some have jointed limbs while others cannot move their limbs at all. Some stare at us with unseeing eyes while their counterparts’ fur is so thick we can’t even see their eyes through their fur. Some teddies are matted, some soft and silky. Some can growl while others have no voice.

So if I compare people to teddy bears you’re probably wondering just what sort of bear I see you as…

You are a very special teddy bear indeed, though not everyone can appreciate that fact. Some choose to judge you at face value and that is their loss not yours, for if they really thought about it, they would see in you what I see when I look at you.

Your fur may be partly matted, some even having been worn away leaving bare patches that are scratchy to the touch. One of your ears sits lopsided; the result of someone’s attempt to ‘fix’ you. Your eyes are beautiful, well at least the one you still have is. The other long gone, leaving a stubborn thread hanging; the only reminder that it was ever there in the first place.

You might be grubby and in places your seams have split exposing the straw on the inside. A flat row of fur the only telltale sign that you once proudly wore a ribbon secured round your neck.

For some people that is all they see when they look at you before their eyes discard you. Yet while I see the same things that they see, I see you as being so incredibly beautiful and it makes me want to hug you all the more.

Those signs of wear and tear that some seem almost ashamed of, they show me how special you are. For while many might view them as flaws, I see them as signs that you have been loved so very, very much; and I know that is true because I am the one who loves you.

I wouldn’t change a single thing about you. To do so might risk losing your charm, your uniqueness and your personality and besides why change you when I already love you just the way you are.

It was a February morning. She wasn’t still ready to open her eyes. She didn’t want to face this day at all. And finally its here. Last night she didn’t know when she fell asleep. She wanted badly not to close her eyes as that would mean the end of this long night and a welcome to the next morning which she was trying to escape , to avoid to her best.
She could still picturesque the last night, the most beautiful and alive night she ever had. It was drizzling outside. From their room on the seventh floor of the building, she could see the entire city through that glass window covered with water-drops. There were light pools amidst darkness. She and him were alone with the stars.
He had already sensed the tension in the air. The moment they lay down for the sleep,it seemed to her like approaching the end. Her eyes were filled with tears. He as if knew this was going to happen. He held her close, made her fall in his arms by his side, caressing her. She remembered the path his fingers followed while traveling over her body.
Starting from her hair strangled in his fingers. Then holding his nose in its grab and pulling it just to irritate her. Sometimes clashing his nose with hers. Then moving his fingers gently over her eyes. He simply loved her eyes. They showed him the depth of her love. She remembered how sometimes they used to intermingle their eyelashes amongst each others. She knew she will miss all that now when he will be gone.
His fingers then traversing the folds of her lips and stopping by for a moment just to let his lips rest on them for a while , letting them having their share of happiness. She loved the warmth feeling of his breath on her neck. It simply keeps her longing for more. Moving on his fingers explored her till they get tired and rest within her fingers, intermingled, bonding till eternity.
Not to forget its her stomach they loved playing with, the most.
Lost in all those thoughts when sleep engrossed her she couldn’t recall. She doesn’t want to open that knot of their hands now. Scared to lose him. She could see him lying by her side, and all she could do is to watch him sleeping and wait till he wakes up and say the final goodbye.

I married a man half my age. Practically he would have been my son. The courtship was whirlwind. Even to this day I couldn’t believe it happened. But here I am writing my experience so it must be real. Going through the secret ceremony was embarrassing as the Judge looked at us intently and asked my husband several times if he really wanted to do it. And several times he answered with a firm yes. Our witnesses are unknown to us. I got two dorm mates, one from Pampanga and the other from Palawan, while my husband got his roommate in Quirino and another close friend from Naga City. After taking some informal shots to document the occasion, we ate at some fancy restaurant at Robinson Malate and then all parties wished us well and then we parted.
My husband got us a room with some furniture and one kitchen showcase composed of a fridge and a stove. The room was small we can hardly move simultaneously without filling up the space but the bedroom has enough space and our bed is queen-sized. For brand new and young husband it was all we need for the moment. I was filled with happiness as despite our age gap, he seems to be the more responsible between the two of us particularly in handling our budget as well as time management. He is a good cook too and sometimes I cant help myself but wonder how lucky I am to have him.
The only thing that I almost cannot stand in our new marriage is the intimacy part. My husband no matter how tired in school and at work always demands intimacy every night. And not only once but at most 5 times. For an aging body like mine it was more than I can bear. But my husband is very patient in his preludes that I cannot help my body react to his advances. One irritating moment I recall was when I was on my way to the grocery. Thinking that my husband is still asleep I tried to manage my underwear and brassiere in our bedroom while my husband is asleep facing the wall. But he suddenly turned and saw me almost naked. Without losing time, he got up immediately and started kissing me all over. Before I know it, im already naked in bed making love to him while lunch and grocerying will have to wait until past 3 pm. My husband’s appetite for me is unbelievable. For no reason he would just pop in from our door when I thought he is in school and he would give me this standard hug with approach from behind. He will squeeze me so tight I can hardly breathe. Standard sweet nothings would be: did you miss me? What were you thinking when Im not here. Do you really love me? Or him?
Such question I think is based on very valid premise. My husband’s best friend is my 1st friend before I feel for him. The best friend is good. And I really like him a lot. But the tenderness my husband gave me during flirting stage is the one that really did me in. My ‘lil boy’ as I fondly call him (he doesn’t like this anymore, now) seem to have underestimated his capacity to love or perhaps might be thinking that I am only pretending to love him. The reason why I married him was that I turned positive in my pregnancy test which turned out to be false. We did the test together one early morning and after seeing the two lines signifying positive for pregnancy, I turned so pale and fell to the floor. I cried a lot since that day and refused to be seen by anyone. I’m afraid of the consequences and shame that the pregnancy supposes to bring at my age, and with this boy. Without hesitation he offered marriage right away to stop me from crying everyday. My eyes were all puffy then and I have lost my voice. My sugar went up and all I wanted is to die right away. My husband worried no end too and until I agreed to go with him and have our emergency wedding, he stopped studying for his validation exam which worried me a lot too. I was thinking if I’m gonna die I will die alone and I wont take this man with a great future to my grave. So I consented to his proposal.
To this day im sure my husband is still doubting of how much I love him. Everytime his best friend pay us a visit I sometimes catch him at the corner of my eye looking at both of us intently, seeking for signs that will tell if we are still ‘emotionally’ connected to each other.
I will end this fiction by saying that on the day I signed that emergency marriage application, I know it in my heart that this is the man I am going to live with. I will love him and respect him with all my heart. And despite my weary body, I always offer myself without complaints, so he wont in anyway doubt my devotion towards him.
His face is the last one I wanted to see before I close my eyes and sleep to eternity.

It was a Saturday in September when i met my love. Me and some friends went to the movies and like there’s an arcade inside we were bored so went there, I saw this very interesting handsome guy that i was really interested to talk to. I told my friend Kim that i wanted to go talk to him and she was like well go so then i went after a while i was so shy and i could notice he was too. After a while of talking he gave me his number after that i had to go to the movies. Later that night he texted me in the most unexpected time I was watching a movie with my brother in the living room and he got so jealous that i was watching a cool movie. My crush for him began the next day when we talked by phone for about 5 hours none stop just talking about our life’s. Al tough he didn’t tell me something that i found out a week later…. he had a girlfriend and he was in love. I thought to myself it was too late and thought about backing off but still being friends. And so we started to talk in a friendly way for a month until he broke up with his girlfriend. Yes he was still waiting for her because her dad didn’t want her to have a boyfriend but i stole his heart from her. I gave him my heart few days later but he was still waiting for her. We flirted a lot until we stopped texting for a while. Time passed, he texted me telling me that he was over his ex but he was really sad because he found out that she got a boyfriend the day after they broke up I just stood by his side all the time. three days later, we stop texting because we both got busy he had a busy schedule with homework and sports i had a busy schedule with theater and homework. It was another Saturday he texted me I asked him about his ex and he was like oh well im over her why you ask? and i was like oh no nothing… then he was like sure 🙂 heheh that was cute ^^ anyways going back to subject…. okay so we walked together all the time in the mall until my friends came and started to flirt with him I backed him off like a lion protecting its property and we went to walk again. We were at Dillard’s when I tried kissing him he was too shy so just asked me to the movies, of course I had to say yes I mean I liked this guy for the LONGEST time ever. After a while I asked if I could grab his hand and he let me then we went back to my friends and they were like Awww you two make such a cute couple you should go out and I was like pf-ft not yet gosh then they started giggling and like he didn’t have money we had to borrow from some of his friends. It was embarrassing but cute. It was finally time for the movie it was movie theater nine where the movie took place. When we sat I felt so impulsive I couldn’t resist kissing him after such a long time that I had waited for our first kiss. I loved his lips they were so soft I just had to taste them he got so shy and I got so shy but we kissed trough out all the movie. Later that night he texted me I got so happy I was blushing so bad. That same week we were fighting about who liked each other more in one of those messages he told me he LOVE me. Oh my gosh that almost made me cry of happiness. That Saturday he asked me out and well whoa of course I said yes!!! I was more than excited about it he literally took my heart away in the yes everything of me belonged to him in that same moment and I couldn’t help my self but kiss him. It was Christmas vacations we spent every single day together at movies, park, mall or for my birth day zoo. That was the best birthday of my life he first took me to watch a romantic movie then a restaurant then Sunday my birthday he took me to zoo and his house :). Woah this boy became my life. Al tough there happened a problem his mom not liking me yet we kept on fighting for our love and we still are in till this day. He’s the boy that owns my heart he’s my magnet, my everything, my life. I love texting, talking, walking, anything while it’s with him. Yes probably we’re in different schools and probably we’ll go through soooo many problems together but I know that we’ll make it through everything I love him and nothing will change that. So that’s the Lili and Brandon story anyways there is ALOT more to go still.

I’d read about love and asked my mom what it was like, and the truth was I never thought I’d know what it was. She told me it couldn’t be explained, only known. I didn’t know what that meant and asked her to elaborate. She couldn’t. When I asked her how I would know if I was in love for certain, she just told me I would know. I think very logically; to me there is only black or white. Something is either there, or it isn’t. Therefore I couldn’t understand the fact that something can’t be defined.

Five years later, it turns out, my mom was right.

I’m not sure if it was love at first sight, because really, what is love? All I know is that I saw him and immediately thought, “Wow.” This was followed by, “That’s the cutest guy I’ve ever seen in my life.” As the day wore on, I only paid attention to him. Lucky for me, I got to hear him sing, as he was a musician. The entire time, I was thinking about how amazing he was, how I’d never seen anything like him, and other thoughts mainly composed of admiration. When I returned home, I spent the next week looking at pictures of him and learning everything I could about him. I paid attention to everything he did and said. I framed a photo of him, paid attention to his friends, hung on to his every word. Being a musician myself, I wrote songs about him. At the time I thought it was just infatuation. A year and a half later, after seeing him kissing another girl right in front of me, I knew that I must have been in love with him. Why else did my heart feel like it was snapping into a million pieces? Looking to confirm this, I tried to write down how I felt about him.

It was impossible. The only thing I knew was that I needed to see him, because I couldn’t stand to be without him. (I will call him “Nick” to avoid confusion).

Soon, my luck changed. He talked to me, and eventually we became very close. It was the start of a friendship, so I couldn’t ruin it by telling him how I felt.

One day, he introduced me to his friends. I was eager to please them, and happy that he wasn’t hanging out with goths or other assorted weird people. Unfortunately, I spotted a guy near the back of the crowd and pulled away. This guy was dressed in all black, with shaggy black hair and tatooes on his arms. He was also wearing a leather jacket and what looked like black eyeliner.

I resisted the tempation to laugh at the makeup and instead introduced myself. We talked briefly about music (he was into punk rock). Then I sheepishly told “Nick” that I probably wouldn’t get along with one of his friends. He said I was talking about “Jerry” and to not worry, because he didn’t think I’d like him anyway. “Jerry” was also a musician, so to be nice, I listened to some of his songs. They were awesome, but not really my genre.

The days went by. Like most people, I ran into many challenges. “Nick” was not well liked by the majority of people (to this day I still don’t know why), so my love for him got me into some awkward moments. Ironically, “Jerry” seemed to be more favored, but that didn’t deter me. After a while, the stress became too much. “Nick” could tell I was upset, and frequently asked what was wrong. I told him that I just needed some time alone, and that I loved him.

Against my better judgement, I listened to “Jerry’s” songs again. They perfectly captured what I was going through. I arranged to hang out with him to find out if he actually went through the things he wrote about.

Amazingly, he had, and really helped me through a tough time. He made sense of why things happen, and I figured I was wrong to judge him by all the black clothes he wore. We talked many more times, as something about his morals and beliefs appealed to me. I knew I loved “Nick” and that there was no way to “turn off” love, so I figured I was just being social.

After many months, “Jerry” played a song he had written for me. I asked him if he really felt that way.

He said he loved me.

My reaction can best be defined as: shocked speechless. Instantly, my mind began racing at a thousand miles per hour.

How could you let this happen? What will “Nick” think? Does he know? How can you explain it? Is it cheating? Is it wrong? Why can’t you think straight? Why do you love the fact that he wrote this for you?

My thought process screeched to a halt.

Do you love him?

I didn’t know the answer. I told “Jerry” that the song was beautiful, and that I hoped I would see him again.

At home, I laid awake pondering my dilemma. How complex this matter was! I could even bring human nature into the discussion, because “Nick” and “Jerry” were like light and dark. One is what I want to be, one is what I once was. But which one was real? Which one was I now?

I spent days trying to decide whom was right for me. Which would bring me less pain? Which would benefit me in the long run? Whom does my heart belong to? Was I just maturing?

No matter who I chose, the other will always be in the back of my mind. I can’t have both, because I can only have one serious relationship at a time. And not choosing wasn’t an option, because it would only make the situation worse.

I took as many “Are You In Love?” quizzes I could, comparing “Nick’s” and “Jerry’s” results. Not one quiz gave me a decisive answer. I turned to characters who faced similar problems on TV and in books, but TV and books were not reality. I asked mystical sources like tarot cards without progress. If I mentioned my problem to my parents, I knew why would tell me to choose “Nick” because “Jerry” wasn’t someone they approved of. The problem was, they couldn’t understand my problem completely, and if I told them, they would say to choose whomever I thought was right. But that’s the problem: I didn’t know who was right!

I definately didn’t feel the same about “Nick”. That much was obvious. But I could easily describe how I felt about “Jerry”. That must mean that I didn’t love him, either. No matter what, someone was going to be hurt badly.

In an act of immaturity, I pushed the decision off to the side. I hung out with both of them like nothing was wrong. “Nick” and I talked about the same things as always and enjoyed each other’s company, but when “Jerry” and I talked, it was always fun. We could be openly honest, even if it was awkward. This, of course, only made me try to strengthen my relationship with “Nick”.

Eventually, my mom noticed “Nick” while we were out and about. I asked her where he was, but there was nothing genuine in my voice. It felt like something I rehearsed.

When we got home, I immediately evaluated my situation. The more I thought about, the more something had to be said. I called “Nick” and he answered.

“You’re going to be really mad at me, but I swear I didn’t intend for this to happen! Really, I didn’t!”

“Why? What is it?”

“I promise I didn’t do anything! I didn’t even think I…jeez, I thought nothing would come of it, I swear!”

“What happened?!”

“I, um…you’re not going to like this, and it’ll probably hurt you a lot, but I have to say it and please don’t be mad! I didn’t force it!”

“Baby, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?!”

“It’s about Jerry.”

He didn’t say anything for a while. “Are you…”

“No I’m not cheating! At least not intentionally!”

“Then what happened? Tell me the truth.”

“Okay, I’ve been hanging out with Jerry because life has gotten really complicated and I knew I loved you so I didn’t think anything would come of it and I didn’t think I liked him anyway but a few days ago he played this amazing song and said he loved me and didn’t know what to say and I think I still love you but I don’t know and PLEASE don’t be mad at me!”

There was silence for a long time. I thought I heard him muttering under his breath.

“Please don’t be mad,” I said timidly.

Still no answer.

“I wouldn’t do this on purpose!”

Nothing.

“I still love you, I promise.”

“Really?” he asked, not sounding convinced.

I thought about it, going over what had happened. Did I want him to be hurt? Of course not! Would saying I loved him prevent that? Yes it would. Did I mean it? …I wasn’t saying yes.

“I can’t believe you’d do this to me,” he said, sounding tortured. The next thing I heard was a dial tone.

Did I still love him? I had doubts.

Did I love “Jerry”?

I couldn’t love him! It wasn’t possible! What did that say about me? But the more I whined, the more I knew that I had feelings for him and not “Nick”. It was that simple.

I called “Jerry” and told him about the conversation. The more I talked to him, the more I knew he was the right choice. I had been pretending with “Nick”, and that could only lead to more suffering.

I’ve only been dating “Jerry” for a short time. I frequently think back to “Nick”, but in the long run, I think I’ll be happier this way. I just had to move on and let go of a relationship that I didn’t feel the same about.

There is not a happily ever after yet. This story has merely begun. Wherever it leads me, I’ll remember to do what I think is right. Pain is a part of life, but it doesn’t have to prevent love.